


six ways to say i love you

by magumarashi



Category: Granblue Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Fate Episode Spoilers, Friends to Lovers, a generous helping of angst, but I don't go into detail, mild discussion of child neglect, seox true name spoilers, the game brushes over it and so will i, which i mention because djeeta's dad definitely abandoned her, which includes some murder bc you know
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:15:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23034610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magumarashi/pseuds/magumarashi
Summary: That "what if" AU where Djeeta's father actually did send Seox home to Zinkenstill because that line in the game made me cry and now you all get to suffer with me.
Relationships: Djeeta/Six | Seox (Granblue Fantasy)
Comments: 33
Kudos: 103





	1. "let's make a promise"

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this before the 2nd half of Seeds of Redemption (like a FOOL) and then had to go back and edit it a bunch but i think it is now stable enough to start posting, so that rules!
> 
> **SPOILER WARNING**  
>  This fic contains MAJOR, COMPLETELY UNAVOIDABLE SPOILERS for both Seeds of Redemption AND Event Seox's fate episode! Even in the first chapter! If you have not completed either of these things and care about being spoiled, _please please finish the things_ before reading this fic!!
> 
> **Message about Content!**  
>  This fic has no explicit content, and the main ship does not become romantically involved until both are adults! But! If you are the kind of person who thinks two unrelated kids growing up in the same house together and later becoming lovers is weird, this may not be the fic for you! Please press the back button and continue your day! Thank you!
> 
> This AU has been absolutely devouring every free brain cell i have so I hope yall enjoy

When a knock sounded at the door that afternoon, Djeeta couldn’t help getting her hopes up. She always did, even though it was never her father on the other side of the door. But there was that small part of her that still hoped that he’d returned from his journey.

This time, again, her hopes were unfounded—but instead of the usual Zinkenstill resident come to check up on her, this time her visitor was a gangly erune boy she’d never seen before. He looked like he couldn’t have been much older than she was: he was a bit shorter than her, with light hair and a soft face. His ears seemed too big for him, almost as though he hadn’t quite grown into them yet. As soon as she opened the door, the boy’s ears fell back against his head timidly.

“Um…” His eyes were on the ground. Gathering his words, he continued in a small, soft voice: “Is… is Djeeta home…?”

“That’s me,” said Djeeta, wondering how he knew her name. Vyrn flew up behind her, hoping to get a better look at the stranger at their door. The boy’s eyes darted to Vyrn, then returned shyly to his feet.

“Oh,” he said. He held something out to her with a bandaged hand. “Um… here…”

Djeeta looked down: in the boy’s hand was a battered envelope with her name on it. She carefully took it and opened it up to find a letter inside.

_My dear Djeeta,_

_I have a favor to ask of you. This boy is Xing, the child of a close friend of mine who is sadly no longer with us. I worry that my crew and I will not be able to properly care for him, but he has nowhere else to go. I sent him home to Zinkenstill because I think he would be safer staying with you and Vyrn. I want you to look after him and be his friend. Do you think you can do that for me?_

_One day, the two of you can come meet me at Estalucia, the island of the Astrals. I’ll be waiting for you there._

_Love, Dad_

Djeeta looked back up at the boy, who was gripping the edges of his shirt nervously. She noticed he had bandages in more places than just his hands. His clothes were worn and dirty, and he didn’t have any shoes—or any luggage, for that matter. Just what had he been through? And her jerk dad couldn’t even bother trying to take care of him…?

“Ex… ing?” Djeeta asked carefully, sounding out the name she’d read in the letter. The boy’s ears perked up.

“Exing….?”

“Is that your name?”

“Oh,” the boy replied. “No. It’s _Xing.”_

“Xing. Okay! Nice to meet you,” she said, holding her hand out to him. “I guess Dad wants you to stay with us from now on.”

“Yeah…” said the boy. He reached out to take her hand, but hesitated, suddenly, as though something was holding him back. He withdrew his hand again nervously. “Um… I-I don’t want to be a bother, though… If it’s too much, I can leave…”

“It’s okay,” said Djeeta, smiling at him. “You can stay here as long as you want.”

Xing finally looked up at her, tears welling up in his eyes.

“You mean it…?”

“Of course,” said Djeeta. “It’ll be nice having someone else around, since it’s just me and Vyrn right now.”

“Vyrn…?”

“Hiya!” Vyrn finally piped up, waving from over Djeeta’s shoulder. Xing jumped and let out a cry of shock.

“T-that lizard talked!?”

“Hey! I ain’t no lizard!!” Vyrn shot back. “I’m a _dragon!_ Can’t you see my wings?!”

“If you’re a dragon, then why are you so small?!” Xing rebutted.

“Dragons don’t gotta be big!!”

“Okay, _okay,_ we get it,” said Djeeta, pushing her pint-sized dragon friend back into the house. “Xing, why don’t you come in? We gotta get your bed set up and stuff.”

Xing nodded, and cautiously followed Djeeta into the house. He looked around the main room, ears twitching a little. The house was simply furnished: there was a small kitchen area near the hearth, and plain wooden furniture. On one wall was a bookshelf lined with tomes of all shapes and sizes, and near it was a couch and chair presumably for reading them.

“Dad’s bed still has sheets on it, right?” Djeeta asked, directing her question to her dragon companion.

“I think so?” Vyrn replied. “I haven’t been in there since he left.”

“Me either.” Djeeta turned to Xing, indicating for him to keep following behind. “Your room’s this way. It used to be Dad’s, but he’s not here right now, so you can use it if you want.”

“That man’s… room?” Xing’s eyes lit up a little at the mention of Djeeta’s father.

“That’s not a problem, right?” Djeeta asked. “Unless you wanna sleep in the main room… Or in mine? Which I guess would be ok? We’d have to get help moving Dad’s bed in there, but—!”

“No, no, it’s fine!!” said Xing hurriedly, cutting her off. “I-I’m fine with your father’s room!”

“You sure?” said Vyrn. “Now that Djeeta mentions it, it might be nice to all be together.”

_“I’m sure!!!”_ Xing insisted, face red.

Djeeta opened the door to what would soon become Xing’s room, and then stepped aside so the boy could take a look. The room beyond was small, furnished similarly to the rest of the house: a bed in one corner, a desk and bookshelf in another. Maps lined the walls, with annotations in black and red ink. Xing stepped inside, eyes passing over the maps curiously.

“What do you think?” asked Djeeta.

“It’s… different than what I’m used to,” Xing admitted. “In Karm, I slept on a mat on the floor…”

“Karm?”

“That’s where I’m from,” said Xing.

“Never heard of it,” said Djeeta.

“Of course you wouldn’t’ve heard of it,” said Xing. “Karm is a village of assassins—the fewer people who know about it, the better. Well… not that it matters much now…”

The young erune trailed off, seemingly lost in thought. 

“Well! Now you don’t have to sleep on the floor anymore,” said Djeeta, seemingly unbothered by Xing’s admission of his origins. “You can have Dad’s bed. Uh—sorry if the sheets are dusty. He hasn’t been home in years.”

Xing turned to her, puzzled.

“Wait…” he said. “Do your mother and father not share a room? Or does she not live here?”

“Oh…” Djeeta looked away. “Mom, um, she died a long time ago. It’s just me and Vyrn here now.”

“So you’re saying you live _alone?”_ Xing’s ears twitched. “Just how old are you?”

“I’m nine,” said Djeeta with a grin.

“And I don’t know how old I am!” Vyrn added. “I don’t remember anything from before Djeeta’s dad brought me here to Zinkenstill, but I’ve been with her since she was a baby. So uh… I gotta be at least nine, too!”

“Nine years old, and living on your own?!” Xing was appalled; his ears stuck straight up in shock. “That’s…!”

“Oh, it’s not too bad,” said Djeeta. “The people in the village all take turns making sure we have food and stuff. Vyrn and I hang out at other people’s houses sometimes too.”

“Still…” Xing’s ears drooped. “That man left you to fend for yourselves, just so he could selfishly go off on some grand journey… and the villagers won’t even take you in themselves!” Tears welled up in his eyes. “And now….!”

“H-hey, Fuzzy Ears, are you crying—!?” said Vyrn in alarm.

“He… I thought he’d saved me,” Xing admitted, voice shaking. He looked down at his bandaged hands. “He got me out of that awful place… but now he’s just sent me to Astrals know where, to live with another child he abandoned… I’m no better off than before, am I…?”

Xing trailed off again, dissolving into whimpering sobs. Djeeta and Vyrn looked at each other in a panic; they’d never seen a boy his age cry before. For a while they simply watched him wail, unsure how to respond. After a time Djeeta went to pat the boy on the back comfortingly. He jumped at her touch on his bare skin and wrenched away from her with a yelp.

“Hey, what gives?!” said Vyrn. “She was just trying to help!”

“S-sorry…” Xing replied through tears. “I… I’m not used to being touched, is all…”

“‘s okay,” said Djeeta. “I shoulda asked first. Can I pat your back? Vyrn pats my back when I’m sad, and it helps me feel better.”

“I… guess you can…” said Xing.

Djeeta walked over to him again, and this time Xing managed to stay still as her hand touched his skin. A change came over him, gradually, and he began to cry with even more force than before—the stress of what he’d been through seemed to hit him all at once. He covered his face in his hands and wailed like a baby, leaning into Djeeta’s touch. Xing let her soothe him until his sobs died down.

“Hey,” said Djeeta. “Can I show you something?”

Xing sniffled loudly and wiped his eyes with the backs of his hands.

“Uh-huh,” he responded with a nod.

“Come with me.”

Djeeta took his hand—she didn’t care that it was wet with tears—and led him across the hall to her own room. She went to her desk and opened one of the drawers, where she kept a folded piece of paper tucked between knickknacks and pencils. This she brought out and unfolded to show him. It was a letter with large, clear text: clearly written for a much younger child to read. Djeeta held it out to him to read.

_I’m aiming for the end of the sky—the island of the Astrals, Estalucia. One day, when you’re old enough, maybe you’ll become a skyfarer just as I did. If you do, I hope to see you there someday._

_Love, Dad_

“My dad gave me this when he left,” Djeeta explained. “Everyone else thinks Estalucia is a fairy tale, but I think dad’s really gonna find it. That’s where he’ll be waiting for me when I grow up, I just know it.”

“Estalucia? I’ve never heard of it…” said Xing. “But I guess I’d never heard of Zinkenstill either.”

“Right? It’s _gotta_ exist,” Djeeta went on. “Ever since he left, it’s been my dream to be a skyfarer one day and travel the whole sky. But I’m not old enough yet…”

“Yeah, ‘cuz you need a crew to be a skyfarer,” said Vyrn matter-of-factly, “And last I checked, there aren’t any crews hirin’ nine-year-olds out here.”

“Why are you showing me this?” asked Xing.

“Because… The letter you gave me said the same thing,” Djeeta explained. “It said, ‘let’s meet at the island of the Astrals.’ That means Dad didn’t forget what he told me. He really is waiting for me out there—and now he wants you to come with.”

“Tch,” said Xing. “If he wanted you to go to Estalucia so badly, why didn’t he just bring you with him?”

“Well…”

“He has a point,” said Vyrn.

“I mean, probably the same reason he sent you here,” said Djeeta. “It’s too dangerous out there for us kids.”

“Feh,” said Xing. _“You_ may be a child, but I’m twelve—in Karm, that’s just a year before you become an adult. I was taught to fight and kill from the time I learned to walk. I could’ve held my own out there…”

“Are you really twelve?” asked Djeeta, puzzled. “You’re shorter than me.”

“Hate to burst your bubble, Fuzzy Ears, but I bet there’s tons of skyfarers who could snap you in half,” said Vyrn.

“Nuh- _uh!”_ Xing insisted, flushing angrily.

“ANYWAY,” said Djeeta. “Xing… how about we make a promise?”

Xing tilted his head.

“Dad wants us to meet him on Estalucia someday,” Djeeta went on. She held out her hand with all fingers curled, save for the pinky. “So… let’s make a promise to become skyfarers when we’re older. We can go to Estalucia and kick my dad’s butt for abandoning us.”

Xing couldn’t help smiling.

“A promise… huh,” he said. “Yeah. Let’s give him hell.”

Xing reached out with his own pinky, curling it together with hers. The two shook hands lightly.

_“Alright!”_ said Vyrn, flying in excited circles in the air. “We’re gonna be skyfarers!”

“In order to be a skyfarer, you’ll have to learn how to fight,” said Xing. “I can teach you some of what I learned in Karm.”

“Like being a sassin?” said Djeeta.

“A wh—oh, you mean _assassin,”_ Xing clarified. 

“That’s what I said, though!! A sassin!” 

Xing snorted, then dissolved into a helpless fit of giggles. Vyrn and Djeeta looked at each other, at first unsure how to react—mere minutes ago he’d been bawling his eyes out, and now the erune was shaking with uncontrollable laughter. Djeeta smiled warmly at Vyrn, and he returned her smile with a big grin.

After being alone for so long… it was nice, the two of them thought, to have another voice to laugh with.


	2. "you don't have to be afraid anymore."

Word got around quickly in Kohazel Village, as word does in places where the days pass uneventfully. Not many erune lived in the village, so the newcomer drew attention immediately wherever the he went. The other village children all wanted a good look at him, but that was easier said than done. For the most part, Xing kept behind Djeeta and Vyrn: ears flat, shoulders stiff, speaking only when directly addressed. His voice was quiet when he did speak, a stutter mangling his words. As they walked from place to place, Xing would gently grasp the back of Djeeta’s blouse—as though he thought he would lose sight of her otherwise.

Djeeta didn’t mind it at first, but as the months wore on and Xing seemed no more comfortable among the villagers, she began to wonder about him. He was just fine when they were alone: after a few weeks he was willing to open up to her somewhat, telling her what he liked to eat and what books he liked to read (all nonfiction, of course. Xing had only read big, boring grown-up books about knives and poisons. Djeeta resolved to find him a better hobby). Whenever they ate at a villager’s house for dinner, or played make-believe with the village kids, though, Xing almost seemed a different person. He would stay behind Djeeta, and if she wasn’t available, he’d hide behind whatever was.

Eventually, Djeeta couldn’t stand wondering anymore.

“Why are you so afraid of everyone?” she asked, on the way back home from a villager’s generous dinner. Xing had stayed quiet the whole time, eating his food quickly and refusing to make eye contact with anyone. By now, the other villagers were used to it—but Djeeta still felt bad that Xing had been a rude guest.

“I-I’m not afraid,” said Xing, though his droopy ears told a different story.

“Yes, you are,” said Djeeta. “The ears don’t lie, Xing.”

“Rats… Foiled again…” Xing pouted. “Sometimes I curse these ears…”

“Well?” said Vyrn, flying over to Xing’s side. “Why are you so scared of everyone, Fuzzy Ears? It’s not like they’re bein’ mean.”

“Yeah, everyone here’s really nice,” said Djeeta.

Xing was silent, for a time. Just as Djeeta was about to prod him again, though, he responded:

“I’ll tell you when we get home. A-and you have to promise not to tell anyone.”

Djeeta and Vyrn shared a quizzical look. Eager as they both were to find out, they decided to humor him, and they didn’t press him further. Luckily, they weren’t a far walk from their house. Xing didn’t say anything until they were safely inside, with the door shut and latched.

“Alright, Fuzzy Ears, spill the beans,” said Vyrn.

“You promise not to tell?” Xing repeated. “I mean it.”

“We won’t tell,” said Djeeta, holding up her pinky finger. “Pinky swear.”

“Vyrn?” Xing turned to the little dragon. “You gotta promise too.”

“I promise, I promise!” said Vyrn. “Now spit it out!! The suspense is killin’ me!”

“Alright…” Xing looked away, ears drooping. “I…. did something horrible before coming to Zinkenstill. Something that can never be undone.”

“What’d you do?” Vyrn asked.

“I…” Xing seemed to freeze up. “I… killed… a lot of people…”

“You WHAT—!?” said Vyrn.

“Vyrn, let him talk!!” Djeeta covered her friend’s big mouth with her hand. “What happened, Xing?”

“... I have some kind of power that’s really dangerous,” Xing explained, slowly. “I learned quickly, and was able to master the Karm clan’s combat techniques when I was little. But instead of praising me, everyone in Karm was afraid of me for it. Other parents wouldn’t let their children near me. My father was the clan leader, but he did nothing to stop them—instead, he didn’t want to associate with me either. He even went so far as to lock me away, so that I wouldn’t become a danger to anyone…”

“That’s awful…” said Djeeta. 

“There were rumors that people in the village were going to have me and my father assassinated,” Xing went on. “And I… I couldn’t take it anymore. I hated how everyone made me feel like I shouldn’t have been born. I hated that my own parents wouldn’t defend me, and kept me locked away. And so I…”

Xing looked down at his hands, trembling.

“I killed them. Every last one—man, woman, child—I didn’t leave a single one alive.”

Djeeta and Vyrn were speechless.

“I didn’t mean to,” Xing went on. “I had only set out to kill the ones who were planning to kill me, to send a message that I wouldn’t back down. We were all assassins; no one would think twice about killing in self defense. It was supposed to be quick… but once I’d killed one person, I… I couldn’t stop…”

An uneasy silence fell over the room.

“I don’t know how many people were living in Karm,” said Xing, after a time. “By the time I came back to my senses, I was the only one left.” 

Xing balled his hands into fists, biting his lip.

“This ‘power’ that everyone in Karm feared… I think it had something to do with what happened that night,” he said. “It’s something I can’t control. They had every right to be afraid…”

“So… are you afraid of someone finding out you did it?” Djeeta asked.

“Not really,” said Xing. “Karm isn’t well-known to outsiders, so I’m not worried someone will connect me to what happened there. But… ” He fidgeted a little. “I’m more afraid of _myself._ I’m afraid that something will set me off and I’ll lose control again—that I’ll kill everyone around me, and not realize until it’s too late.” 

Djeeta frowned, her eyebrows knitting pensively.

“That _is_ pretty scary,” she said.

“All the people in this village have been so kind to me,” said Xing. “It’s nothing like it was back in Karm. But still… I’m worried that if I slip up and lose control again, everyone will find out I’m a monster, and they’ll shun me just like they did in Karm…”

“Hey,” said Djeeta. “You’re not a monster, Xing.”

“Yeah, don’t say that about yourself,” Vyrn agreed.

“But—!” Xing looked back at them in shock. “But I—I _killed_ people! I killed _children!_ Even _you_ must think I’m—!”

“That’s all bad stuff, yeah,” said Djeeta. “But I don’t think monsters are afraid of hurting people. I think they just hurt people and don’t care.” 

“Yeah,” said Vyrn. “If you were really a monster, you’d be saying, ‘Boy I had fun killing people, and I can’t wait to do it again!’ or something nasty like that! You wouldn’t be worryin’ so much about hurting everyone!”

Xing’s ears drooped; he looked down at his hands again.

“Maybe you’re right…” he murmured.

“You’re not a bad person, Xing,” said Djeeta. She took his hand, smiling at him. “Bad people don’t say they’re sorry.”

Xing stared at her for a long time—so long that she began to worry she’d said something wrong—before finally giving her a slow nod. 

“I… Thank you…”

He reached up to rub his eyes with his free hand, wiping a few tears away.

“Even if you guys don’t think I’m a monster…” Xing went on, “I worry about what everyone else would think. Whenever they look at me, it feels like they can see through me…”

“So that’s why you’re always hidin’,” said Vyrn. “Don’t like bein' looked at, huh?”

“No…”

“Hey, I have an idea,” said Djeeta. “Wait here.”

Xing tilted his head curiously while Djeeta dashed back to her room. There was a rustling as she searched through boxes and drawers, before finally she emerged again carrying a round, wood object the size of a plate. She held it up for Xing to see.

“A… mask?” said Xing. The item in her hand was painted white, and carved to look like a fox with a short snout and pointed ears. There were a couple of holes to see out of, though they were hidden by the black paint meant to convey the fox’s eyes.

“I got this from one of the villagers last summer, but it’s too big for me,” said Djeeta. “It might fit you, though.”

“What does this have to do with anything?”

“Just try it on,” said Djeeta. 

Xing did as she asked, carefully lifting the mask to his face. Surprisingly enough, it fit just fine; his eyes were aligned with the holes. Vyrn flew around to the back of his head to tie the string that would hold it in place.

“Well?” said Djeeta.

“... I can barely see anything out of these tiny holes,” said Xing, his voice muffled slightly. “What exactly is this supposed to do?”

“If you’re afraid of yourself, then just put that mask on and be someone else!” said Djeeta. “That way you don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

“Everyone in the village knows who I am already,” said Xing flatly. “I’m the only erune here. I don’t see how this is supposed to help—!”

“What if you pretended to be someone brave when you wear the mask?” said Djeeta. “Nobody would be able to tell you’re scared underneath it.”

“What—?”

“Oh, I getcha,” said Vyrn. “She’s sayin’ if you pretend to be somebody brave for long enough, maybe you’ll actually _be_ brave one day!”

Xing took a moment to consider this.

“Do you think…” he said, after a time, “Do you think I could be someone who… can control his own power?”

“I bet you can!!” said Djeeta. “We could call you Fried Tofu, the Wood Warrior!! A brave hero who only uses his powers for good!”

“I’d rather die than go by Fried Tofu,” said Xing. “What’s wrong with the name I have? I can just be Xing but stronger. Brave Xing.”

“The Cooler Xing,” said Vyrn.

“Xing, the Hero of Zinkenstill,” Djeeta added. “Nobody has to know you’re from Karm, right?”

Xing had never thought about it like that before. For the people of Karm, heritage had been everything—it was all continuing the bloodline this, keeping traditions alive that. It had never occurred to him that there were other options: that someone could just throw away their name, their clan, their origins. Even having been the one to bring Karm to ruin, Xing was still haunted by them. They’d shown him nothing but cruelty, but that cruelty was all he’d ever known.

And yet… Karm was gone. There was no one left. It hadn’t quite sunk in yet, even after having drenched himself in his neighbors’ blood. The Karm clan was no more: an attachment empty of meaning. Without them, Xing could be whoever he wanted.

“Yeah…” he said after a time, bringing his hand up to the mask. “From now on… I’ll try saying I’m from Zinkenstill.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually wrote 3 versions of this scene; the first two because I was going stir crazy at work waiting to be able to play the 2nd half of Seeds of Redemption. I wrote one scene, went back to fact check it, realized I had my facts wrong, and rewrote it... only to play the rest of the event and realize neither of my ideas for Seox's backstory were correct! (or at least, each was half right, but i couldn't put them together and be whole right. welp). something something don't be me kids
> 
> ~~at least I only had to wait 4 hours to be proven wrong, unlike the year wait between paradise lost and 000, wherein i came up with a whole bunch of theories about lucio that all turned out to be completely wrong~~


	3. "we made a promise, didn't we?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> people have asked me how the beginning of the game would go down with Seox there and so: 
> 
> :)

They say the seasons pass slowly in Zinkenstill: languid summer days make way for mild autumn nights, and cool, crisp winters eventually warm into damp springs. In this way, the years passed by almost without notice. Djeeta only realized just how much time had passed when she went to get something off a high shelf and Xing was able to reach it for her with little effort. 

Neither of them had kept particularly close count, but it had been seven years since the timid erune first came to Zinkenstill. Though Xing still tended to be shy and quiet, it had become much harder for him to hide behind Djeeta. He kept his face out of sight beneath increasingly more intimidating masks, hoping to put others off from engaging him. For the times they did talk to him, though, he had trained himself to sound fearsome and coolheaded. It didn’t quite work when he was small and gangly, and the people in the village had thought his act was little more than a preteen’s self-importance. But at 19, tall and muscular, he was able to project more of the image he wanted others to see.

Djeeta hadn’t grown quite as much as Xing had, but what she lacked in height she made up for in ability. True to his word, Xing had taught her a little about fighting—and while she still was a long way from keeping up with him, now she could take down monsters in the forest without batting a lash. The two of them sparred together daily, hoping to keep their skills sharp for the day they eventually struck out into the world as skyfarers. The world beyond Zinkenstill’s mountains was rife with bandits, thieves, and the domineering Erste Empire. If they were to have any hope of crossing the sky, they would have to be prepared for anything. 

It was during one such sparring session that a shadow fell over Kohazel village, and the two of them held their blows to look up at the sky. A giant, imposing airship had come to a halt just outside the village.

“That’s an imperial airship, ain’t it?” said Vyrn. “Wonder what it’s doin’ all the way out here.”

No sooner had Vyrn commented than there was a flash and a resounding boom. An explosion off the side of the hull rocked the massive ship, sending smoldering debris down to the forest below.

“Waugh!” the little dragon exclaimed.

“That’s not good,” said Xing. “If any debris from the explosion hits the ground, it could start a fire… Isn’t that ship moored near where the shrine is?”

“We should warn the villagers to get water ready—!” Djeeta began, but out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of a flash of blue light between the trees in the distance. Could it have been a part from the ship? “I’m going to check it out. You warn the villagers.”

“You’re going alone? I don’t think so,” said Xing, frowning under a mask styled to look like a snarling beast. “I’m going with you. Coming, Vyrn?”

“Might as well? Not that I wanna…”

Djeeta hastily stuffed her sword back into its sheath before taking off running. Xing and Vyrn shared a look of concern before following after her. 

The three of them kept running until they hit the forest, heads on a swivel for imperial soldiers. Djeeta wasn’t sure _what_ she was looking for out here—what had that flash of blue been? Was it a monster? A trick of the light? 

She was so focused on finding out what it was that she barely noticed footfalls drawing nearer. Xing, however, did notice, and yanked her out of the way by her shirt collar as a girl dressed in blue sprinted past her. If the erune hadn’t reacted so fast, the two girls would have collided.

“Whoa!” said Vyrn. “Who was that?!”

“Not anyone I’ve seen,” said Xing. He turned to call out to the stranger in blue. “You! Who are you?”

The young girl looked fearfully over her shoulder—revealing that she wasn’t dressed in blue, but had long blue hair—and in that moment she collided with a low-hanging branch and fell to the ground with a startled cry.

“Ack!” said Djeeta. “Here, let me help you up…”

As Djeeta went to go help the blue-haired girl, Xing’s ears twitched: there was a rustling in the bushes in the distance, accompanied by shouts and cries.

_“Stop!”_

_“Someone stop that girl!”_

“Imperials, most likely…” said Xing quietly. “I can hear the sound of their armor as they run.”

“What’s going on…?” said Vyrn. 

“Are you okay?” Djeeta asked, helping the blue-haired girl to her feet. 

“P-please!” said the girl, grabbing Djeeta’s arm. “You have to help me!”

“Uh? Help you what—!?”

“You there! Drop your weapons!”

The blue-haired girl gasped: the three imperial soldiers Xing heard had finally caught up to them, springing out of the brush with weapons drawn. Each one was covered in full plate armor; it was impossible to see their faces.

“Who the heck are you guys?!” Vyrn squeaked.

“That doesn’t matter,” said one of the soldiers, his voiced muffled by his helm. “If you value your lives, you’ll cooperate and hand over the blue-haired girl.”

Djeeta and Xing turned to look at the girl in question. She was practically shaking, holding on to Djeeta’s arm as though it was a lifeline. The look on her face suggested that these soldiers were not her friends.

“No way,” said Djeeta, putting her free hand on her sword. “Like we’d trust you!”

“She’s right,” said Xing, raising his hands in a fighting stance. “Nothing good comes of soldiers forcing civilians to hand someone over.”

“So you kids wanna fight? Suit yourselves!” The soldier who’d spoken raised his blade, and his comrades followed suit. “We’ll make you regret it!”

“You’ll be eating those words,” said Xing. He nodded to Djeeta, who nodded back.

The two sprung into action: Djeeta shouted and swung her sword wide, creating a diversion, while Xing moved so fast he seemed to vanish into thin air. Djeeta didn’t even have to do much work; only keep the soldiers distracted while Xing struck at weak points in their armor with the side of his hand. Within minutes all three imperials lay crumpled on the ground, unconscious.

“Wow… you two are so strong…!” said the blue-haired girl in awe.

“Heh, thanks!” said Djeeta, puffing up a little at the praise. Xing, however, stiffened: the sound of someone else approaching had caught his ears.

“Lyria! Are you alright?!”

A woman’s voice called out, and the blue-haired girl jumped. Moments later, a newcomer stepped into the clearing: this time, a woman in armor with long brown hair. She carefully walked around the collapsed guards.

“What happened here…?” she asked.

“Katalina!” said the blue-haired girl. “These two protected me!”

“These two?” the female knight’s eyes fell on Djeeta and Xing, who nodded to her. “I don’t know who you are, but thank goodness you were here. If anything had happened to her…”

“You should’ve seen it, Katalina!” said the blue-haired girl. “They were so strong!! Like heroes!!”

“Heroes…. huh,” said Xing. "Has a nice ring to it." 

“And just who are _you_ guys?” said Vyrn. “It doesn’t sound like you’re exactly buddy-buddy with those soldiers from earlier.”

“No, we’re not with them,” said the female knight. “I’m Katalina Aryze, and this young lady is Lyria. I can’t thank you enough for saving her.”

“Aw, it was nothin’,” said Vyrn.

“Yeah, because _you_ didn’t do anything,” said Djeeta.

“Hey!”

“What are _your_ names?” asked Lyria, her eyes practically shining with admiration.

“I’m Djeeta,” said Djeeta, “And these are my best friends, Vyrn and Xing.”

“More importantly,” said Xing, “Why were those imperials chasing you?”

“That’s… I can’t tell you that,” said Katalina, frowning. “We have to get away from them. That’s all you need to know.”

“Unfortunately, you won’t be going far,” said a new, nasaly voice. Everyone jumped.

“C-Captain Pommern!” said Katalina suddenly, standing at attention. “Terribly sorry, sir, I’ll return to the ship right awa—!” 

“You expect me to fall for that?” the newcomer responded, stepping out from a different set of trees. Captain Pommern was an older man with possibly the ugliest haircut Djeeta had ever seen, and behind him were more soldiers clad in the same armor as the others. He glanced around at the fallen guards before continuing, “I do say, it takes a special kind of stupidity to betray the Erste Empire.”

“Betray?” Djeeta looked from Katalina to Pommern quizzically.

“That girl is very important to our plans,” said Pommern matter-of-factly. “And unfortunately, we can’t have her just get up and walk away, now can we?”

More soldiers came out of the bushes, surrounding them with weapons drawn. The group drew closer together, tensing as they weighed their options. Xing and Djeeta’s usual diversion tactics wouldn’t work as well with the group surrounded. With Katalina they had an extra sword, but would it be enough?

“H...hey…!” said Vyrn. “I don’t like this…!”

“Terribly sorry that you civilians had to get involved, but that’s just the way of things, it seems,” said Pommern, smiling mirthlessly. “Men, bring me the girl in blue alive. As for the others: kill them all—!”

_“No!!”_

It happened faster than Djeeta could register—or anyone else, for that matter. Xing had sprung into action the moment Pommern gave his men the order. He went for the commander first, winding him with a single jab to the throat, then springboarded off the unconscious commander’s chest and dove for the other knights in a blind fury, smashing helmets and twisting necks. He moved so fast that it almost seemed like he’d split into three people, but his movements were far less controlled than they’d been before. Instead of felling each soldier with a precision hit, he moved more like a one-man storm: his brutal swings and armor-denting kicks left only destruction in his wake. 

Djeeta and Katalina were able to hold the others off until Xing could get to them, but they didn’t have long to wait: within moments, the forest was silent again. Djeeta, Katalina, Lyria, and Vyrn suddenly found themselves standing in the center of a ring of bodies. 

“Hawawa!” Lyria cried in shock, holding a hand to her mouth.

Xing stood opposite them, atop a felled solider—judging by the state Xing had left his helmet in, whether the man was still alive was anyone’s guess. The erune’s face was still hidden behind his mask, but Djeeta could hear his breathing even from a distance: his breaths came heavy and fast, like a frightened beast. His hands trembled at his sides, fists covered in bruises and blood.

“... Xing…?” said Djeeta, carefully. He didn’t seem to hear her. Djeeta stepped over the downed imperials and walked up to him, waving in front of the mask. He gave no indication that he’d seen her. She frowned and put a hand on his shoulder. “Xing, hey—!”

Xing jumped at her touch and wrenched away from her—but as he looked back at her, he seemed to realize what he’d done.

“Djeeta…” he said, quietly. “I…”

His ears drooped, and he turned away.

“I… lost control… again…”

Xing took off running as fast as he could. 

“Hey!”

Djeeta ran after him, dodging rocks and trees, though she knew she couldn’t possibly beat him when it came to speed. He’d spent his whole life training to move quickly and noiselessly, not to mention his legs were longer; how could she hope to keep up with him?

And yet…

She got the feeling that if she let him get away here, she’d never see him again. It was this thought that sent adrenaline surging to her legs. She couldn’t let him go. She wouldn’t. She wouldn’t let another person leave her behind. _Especially_ not him.

As they left the forest and reached an open field, she managed to take hold of his wrist. 

He tried to yank away, but she held firm with both hands.

“Xing, please wait!!”

“Let go! Don’t touch me!” Xing snarled through his mask, ears back and hackles raised. “I don’t want to hurt you too!” 

“You’re not going to!” said Djeeta. “I can take it!”

“Back off! I mean it!”

“No!” 

No matter how much he struggled, Djeeta refused to loosen her grip. She simply dug her feet into the dirt.

“Xing, please…” said Djeeta, “If I let go, you’re just gonna run away… Please don’t go…”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Xing repeated, voice shaking. “It’s been seven years and nothing’s changed. I still can’t control myself. If something sets me off, I—!”

“What happened back there?” Djeeta asked.

“I… I don’t know why, but when the man in the forest told his men to kill you, I… I saw red…” Xing took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. “I don’t remember what happened after. Next thing I knew, all the soldiers were on the ground, and you had your hand on my shoulder…” 

Xing trailed off. Djeeta couldn’t see his face, but she had spent enough time with him to know when he was fighting off tears.

“Xing,” said Djeeta. “You saved us.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that I lost control,” said Xing. “Just being here puts you all in danger. If anything happened to you, I’d… I’d destroy the whole village….”

“You don’t know that,” said Djeeta.

By now the others had caught up to them: Vyrn, Lyria, and Katalina stood at a distance, sensing that a fairly personal exchange was going down between them.

“I have to go,” said Xing resolutely. “It’s been fun living here. It really has. But… I’m a monster, and that’s all I’ll ever be. I have to go somewhere I won’t hurt the people I care abou—!”

There was a loud _clap_ as Djeeta slapped Xing across the face, knocking his mask clean off. It fell in the grass with a light clatter. Xing let out a meek yelp before bringing his free hand up to cover his face.

“We made a promise, didn’t we?!” Djeeta cried, fighting back tears of her own. “We promised to become skyfarers and find my dad and kick his ass!! And you’re just going to run away because you beat up a few soldiers?!”

“I could’ve hurt you—!”

“Yeah, but you _didn’t!”_ Djeeta shot back, “You didn’t hurt any of us—you saved us!”

She finally let go of his wrist, bringing her hands up to wipe tears from her eyes.

“We promised we’d go together,” she said. “Please… don’t leave…” 

Djeeta trailed off, unable to hold back her tears anymore, and broke into quiet sobs. She expected him to take advantage of the opportunity she’d given him and make a run for it—but he didn’t. Xing just stood there, frozen, as if the sight of his best friend crying had completely broken him. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Vyrn finally flew over to intervene, patting Djeeta’s back with his paw. “Xing didn’t forget your promise. Right Xing?”

Xing slowly shook his head.

“But I still…” he said, “I… didn’t want to kill anyone in front of you. You were the one person I couldn’t…”

“I don’t know if it helps,” Katalina piped up, “But none of those guards were dead. We checked—they were all unconscious, but still alive. Though a few of them weren’t in great shape…” 

Xing could only stare at her in disbelief..

“See?” said Djeeta. She bent down to pick his mask up off the ground. “You didn’t hurt me, and you didn’t kill anyone in front of me. You’re not a monster, Xing. You never were.”

Djeeta held the mask out to him, and he took it. He carefully fitted it back onto his face.

“Thank you…” he said quietly. “There you go again, Djeeta. You’re always the one to…”

“Huh?” she could only barely hear him.

“It’s nothing.” 

“Anyway,” said Djeeta, turning to face the others. “If those guards aren’t dead, I’m guessing they’re gonna report what happened to their higher-ups. We should probably lay low for a little while until this blows over—in case there’s a bounty or something.”

“Or…” said Xing, “They could forego the bounty and just lay Zinkenstill to ruin. I’ve heard tell of the empire’s cruelty. We’ve likely put a target on everyone here…”

“Actually, not necessarily,” said Katalina. “It wouldn’t look very good if the guards reported total defeat at the hands of a single unarmed teenager. At least—if I know Pommern, I know he wouldn’t want to give the higher ups a detailed report of his own defeat if it was in any way embarrassing. You might be alright for the time being.” 

She frowned to herself.

“Lyria and I, though… We’ll probably become _personae non gratae_ in the empire in a matter of days.”

 _“Personey non groney?”_ said Vyrn. “What’s that mean?”

“It means unwelcome,” said Xing. “And anyway, even if we’re alright for the time being, there’s no telling what the empire will do.” He turned to Djeeta, and though she couldn’t see his expression, she could almost feel the severity in his gaze. “I don’t want to just run, but if we stay here…”

“How about you come with us?” Katalina offered. “I hid an imperial skimmer for me and Lyria to escape on, but there’s room for a few more. I can take you as far as Port Breeze.”

“Sounds like you’ve had this planned for a while,” said Djeeta. Katalina nodded to her.

“I’m planning to take Lyria across the Grim Basin and leave Phantagrande altogether,” she explained. “The empire has less influence in neighboring skydoms, so we might be safer there.”

“Can Djeeta and Xing come with us across the Grim Basin?” said Lyria excitedly. “Pretty please??”

“Huh? I don’t want to burden them more than we already have…”

Despite Katalina’s protests, a glimmer came to Djeeta’s eyes.

“Actually—traveling across the skies is just what me and Xing wanted to do!” she said.

“Hm?”

“Djeeta’s father is waiting for us at Estalucia on the other end of the sky,” Xing explained. “We’re planning to become skyfarers to find him.”

“Estalucia? But that’s the island of the Astrals!” said Katalina. “I’ve heard it only exists in legends… You’re saying your father actually _went_ there?”

“Yup!” said Djeeta.

“We’ve got the letters to prove it!” said Vyrn, pumping a small dragon fist.

“Katalina!” said Lyria excitedly. “If Estalucia really _is_ at the end of the skies… We’ll probably be safe there, right? And maybe the Astrals will know something about me!”

“I suppose…” Katalina frowned, but soon her face softened. “Alright. If that’s what you want to do, Lyria. And Xing and Djeeta can keep us safe on the way there.”

“Yaaaay!” said Lyria, jumping up and down. She took both Xing and Djeeta by the hand. “Come on, let’s go!”

“H-hey, wait—!!” said Xing. “What about all our stuff back at home?”

“We have to leave quickly, before those guards wake back up and come looking for us,” said Katalina. “Hurry; I’ll show you where the skimmer is.”

“We can always come back later,” said Vyrn. “Is there anything you were really itchin’ to bring, Fuzzy Ears?”

“Just some books…”

“Let’s get those later,” said Djeeta. “Come on, Xing!! This is our chance!!”

“I know, I know…!”

Katalina led them to a denser part of the forest, where an imperial skyskimmer had been carefully hidden under a pile of branches. Despite Katalina’s promise that there would be room for everyone, the five of them only _barely_ fit. Djeeta practically had to sit on Xing’s lap in the back seat. 

Once they took off, the erune’s gaze was on Zinkenstill as it grew smaller and smaller behind them.

“What are you thinkin’ about?” Djeeta asked.

“... nothing much,” said Xing. “I was just remembering the day I left Karm on your father’s ship. I didn’t feel anything watching my own hometown get further away, but now…”

“You’re sad to leave Kohazel village behind?” Djeeta finished for him.

“I don’t know,” Xing replied. “It doesn’t make sense. I spent less time here than I did in Karm…” 

“Well, of course you’d be sad to leave Zinkenstill and not Karm,” said Vyrn. “You only have bad memories of Karm, right? No wonder you didn’t feel sad to leave.”

“That’s true…” Xing admitted. “There’s nothing in Karm for me to go back for, either.”

“We’ll be back in Zinkenstill before you know it,” said Djeeta. “And the next time we come back… we’ll be bona-fide skyfarers, just like we promised.”

“Yeah,” Xing agreed. Though his mask hid his face, there was a smile in his voice. “I guess we will be, huh…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's a part of me that, with most of the next chapter written, realized it would have been even more heart-wrenching if Xing actually did run away here and Djeeta only met up with him again later once he'd joined the Eternals. And there's probably an alternate version of me that thought "yeah i like that better," trashed half this chapter and all of the next one, and went with that plot beat instead.
> 
> Fortunately (unfortunately?) you got the version of me that is very attached to the next chapter and so decided to keep this one as is. but take a minute to enjoy marinating on the angstier fic that could have been


	4. “i just… don’t want to go anywhere if you won’t be there too.”

The five of them had come to Port Breeze looking to join a skyfaring crew, or at the very least charter a ship to the next island. After various misadventures, they left the island with the Grandcypher, a ship to call their own—and at its helm was their new friend Rackam, the best helmsman they could ask for. Djeeta was named the captain of this budding crew, and Xing her first mate. As the Grandcypher sailed Phantagrande, stopping at the various islands to take missions and buy supplies, their humble crew began to accumulate more and more hands. 

Before Djeeta knew it, she and her crew weren’t just taking any quests they could find—more often, their help was personally requested. Djeeta and Xing got on a first-name basis with the Knickknack Shack’s owner, Sierokarte, who in turn recommended them highly to any who needed the help of a skyfaring crew. The Grandcypher crew quelled primal beasts, thwarted political plots, and brought down crime lords—fending off crisis after crisis with Djeeta’s bullheaded determination and Xing’s razor-sharp precision. After just a year of traveling the skydom and making a name for themselves, the Grandcypher, its fearless captain, and its undefeated first mate were known across the skies.

Djeeta, Xing, Vyrn, and Lyria sat in the mess hall one day, waiting on a snack that Lowain and Bros were cooking up for them. The crew was moored on Phidi Island after their latest quest, and was taking some time to relax and regroup before setting off on their next adventure. Lyria was taking the others through the journal she’d been keeping over the past year, documenting the people they’d met and the adventures they’d had together. Xing couldn’t help smiling beneath his mask, watching them: having spent his childhood alone, and his teen years only having Djeeta and Vyrn for company most of the time, he found himself thinking it was nice that the crew had grown so much in the last year. Not that he wanted more people to talk to (he didn’t) but it made him happy to see Djeeta chatting and spending time with the other crew members. She seemed to thrive around others in ways that he couldn’t explain, and couldn’t hope to emulate.

“Djeeta! Xing!”

Djeeta looked up at the sound of her name, and Xing glanced over his shoulder. One of their earliest-joining members had come in from abovedecks. 

“What’s up, Mary?” Djeeta asked. “Something happen?”

“Oh no, nothing like that,” said Mary, adjusting her hat. “There’s a pair of weird-looking skyfarers here to see you. They uh, requested you personally, Xing.”

“Me…?” Xing tilted his head to show his confusion—since others couldn’t see his face, he’d taken to expressing himself in other ways. “What could they want with me?”

“They’re not from the Crew of Enforcers, are they?” asked Djeeta.

“Nuh-uh,” said Mary. “I think they said they’re here representing… the Eternals?” 

Xing and Djeeta looked at each other.

“Never heard of ‘em,” said Xing.

“Me either.” Djeeta stood up. “I’ll come up to meet them. Xing, you coming?”

“Seeing as they asked for me, it would be rude not to show.” Xing stood up as well, nodding to Lyria and the others. “Hopefully this won’t take long.”

Djeeta and Xing followed Mary abovedecks, where other crew members were busy adjusting the riggings and hanging laundry. Mary hadn’t been kidding when she said the pair was weird-looking: one was a tall human man, and one a harvin; both sported imposing red and white mantles and gravity-defying hairstyles. The harvin was about average height for harvins, but he stood equal to the human thanks to the cone-shaped floating platform beneath his feet. Djeeta didn’t want to stare, but it was hard for her to decide where to put her eyes.

The tall man turned to look at them, flashing a dazzling grin.

“There they are—just the people we wanted to see!” he said. “You must be Djeeta and Xing! We’ve heard so much about you!”

Djeeta strode right up to them, but Xing warily kept behind her. 

“Well met, you two. You can call me Anre,” said the harvin, twirling his lengthy orange mustache. His soft, kindly voice caught Djeeta off guard. “And this fellow over here is Seofon, the leader of my crew.”

“That’s right,” said the tall man, “Star Sword Sovereign and leader of the Eternals—Seofon, at your service! Pleased to make your acquaintance!”

Seofon held out a hand, and Djeeta shook it firmly. When he offered it to Xing, though, the erune merely eyed it with mistrust.

“The Eternals…” he said. “I’ve never heard of you before.”

“You haven’t? That’s a shame,” said Anre. “I suppose we haven’t done enough to make our name known. Allow me to explain—the Eternals are a project of myself and Seofon. Put simply… we aim to create the strongest crew in the skies.”

“How d’you figure that?” asked Mary.

“It’s simple, really,” said Anre. “You’re familiar with the ten weapon groups, correct? We’re hoping to put together a crew of ten people, each of whom are the masters of their chosen weapon. Ah—when I say _master,_ I don’t just mean someone of great skill. We’re looking for those who demonstrate extraordinary prowess, and whose skills with their weapon enable them to go above and beyond the limits of the body.”

Xing’s ears twitched.

“It sounds like we’re asking the impossible, but we’ve already got a few members on our roster,” said Seofon. He held a hand out, and immediately a sword made of blue light materialized in his grip. Djeeta and Mary’s mouths fell open in awe. “Myself and Anre are masters of the sword and spear, respectively.”

“That’s so cooooool!” said Mary. “You can just make swords out of thin air?!”

“Well, they’re copies of swords other people have—but that’s still pretty cool, right?” 

“And _why_ are you gathering these ten ultra-strong people?” Djeeta dragged the conversation back to the topic at hand, folding her arms.

“... Conflict will only give rise to more suffering,” said Anre quietly. “But ultimate power can deter even the smallest of conflicts. That is what I believe, and that is the reason we’re bringing together the ten Eternals.”

“Er—what he’s trying to say is, we’re putting together a team of superheroes to keep the world safe!” said Seofon quickly, noticing Djeeta and Mary’s concerned faces. “We’re aiming to be the kind of crew that can stop any conflict before it starts!”

“But to do that, we need to find those masters—the most powerful combatants in the skies,” said Anre. “And that’s where you come in, Xing.”

Mary and Djeeta turned to look at their erune companion in shock.

“Me?” said Xing. “Why me?”

“No need to play it humble!” said Seofon. “Word gets around in the skies these days! We’ve heard nothing but good things about you. Specifically, that you’ve never lost a fight in your life, and can fight barehanded better than most people can with a weapon.”

“He’s not wrong,” said Mary.

“Some people even claim you can be in two places at once,” said Anre. “Not that I believe such rumors, but I was certainly intrigued to hear it. We would love to get a better idea of how you fight firsthand. Would you agree to a one-on-one match with Seofon?”

“Right now?” said Xing.

“Why not?” said Seofon, slinging his translucent sword over his shoulder. “We could even disembark if you’re worried about damaging the ship.”

“Well…” Xing glanced at Djeeta, who met his gaze with a nod.

“Go ahead, Xing,” said Djeeta, smiling. “It’s been a while since you last had a challenging opponent, right?”

“I guess that’s true.” Xing cracked his knuckles. “I’ll have to go get my claws.”

“Claws?” said Anre.

“Xing usually fights using bagh nakh,” Djeeta explained. “That won’t be a problem for you, will it?”

“Fine by me!” said Seofon, seemingly excited about the upcoming bout. “Meet us down in the field just outside town when you’re ready.”

Xing nodded to him, then turned to Djeeta as the Eternals took their leave.

“You’re coming too, right?” he asked.

“Sure!” said Djeeta, but then she frowned. “Why, are you worried?”

“No, but…” said Xing. “I’d feel better having you there. In case I lose control again…”

“You’ll be fine,” Djeeta put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. “But I’ll come along anyway. I wanna see if this Seofon guy’s really as strong as he claims.”

Xing smiled to himself, though Djeeta couldn’t see it.

“We’ll see.”

The field Seofon had picked was, in many ways, the ideal location for a one-on-one duel. It was away from the town such that the sound of their clash likely wouldn’t reach the people living there, and had few bushes or boulders to impede them.

Seofon was waiting on the far end, and Anre in the middle; the latter would take on the role of referee, keeping watch to ensure the fight didn’t get out of hand. Seofon stood with his arms folded, a smug smile on his face. Xing took his place on the other side of the field, mirroring Seofon’s stance with crossed arms of his own. Just behind him stood Djeeta, standing by with her own weapon in case things went south.

“Whew! That sure is a fearsome mask you have there!” said Seofon. “Not gonna take it off for the fight?”

“It doesn’t hinder me in battle,” said Xing simply. “Are we doing this or not?”

“A little impatient, are we?” said Seofon. “That’s good, though! I’ve been itching to try my hand against the man rumored to be the strongest hand-to-hand fighter in the skies.”

“Ready?” Anre asked, looking between the two fighters. Xing took a fighting stance, aiming the claws of his weapons at his opponent. Seofon, however, didn’t move; he simply nodded to Anre while continuing to stand there looking smug. “Alright then… the rules of this bout are simple. There will be one round. The first to corner their opponent with what would otherwise be a fatal blow wins.”

“Simple, he says…” said Xing. 

“You may begin!”

No sooner had the words left Anre’s mouth than Xing was already halfway across the field, aiming for Seofon’s neck. Seofon, however, didn’t move—he didn’t have to. There was a flash of light, and a myriad of crystalline swords shot out from behind him. Xing was only barely able to jump backwards before a pile of them lodged into the ground where he’d once stood. As quickly as they came, the swords faded.

Djeeta looked back over at Seofon to see if he had been hiding more sheathes under his mantle—but he hadn’t moved. The swords seemed to have come from nowhere. 

“Now _that’s_ interesting,” said Xing.

“The title of ‘Star Sword Sovereign’ isn’t just for show, you know,” said Seofon. He held a hand out, materializing another crystal sword into his grip. “Now, let’s see if you’re as good as the rumors say.”

This time it was Seofon’s turn to lunge, flanked by an arsenal of magic swords. Xing was able to parry some of them and dodge the rest, but barely; Djeeta could tell he’d never dealt with an opponent of this caliber before. Xing usually moved with the grace of a dancer, effortlessly evading opponents’ moves and striking them before they had a chance to fight back. With this opponent, however, he had to be on the defense. Seofon’s attacks came quickly and relentlessly, keeping Xing on his toes as he struggled to get close enough to land a hit.

“I’m impressed you can keep up with me!” Seofon taunted. “Most folks would be pincushions by now—whoops!”

Seofon had stopped launching swords while he talked, and Xing took the opportunity to lunge at him. The Eternal only barely managed to stumble out of the way, shooting off another sword to cover himself. Xing knocked the sword aside and lunged again, this time tearing a hole in Seofon’s cloak.

“Now we’re talking!” said Seofon, loosing a flurry of blades. Xing dodged them all, but it was becoming clearer that he would have to up his game if he hoped to win. Even landing a non-lethal hit on Seofon was looking to be easier said than done. Just who _was_ he…?

“You’re a speedy little thing, aren’t you?” Seofon taunted. “But you can’t run from me forever!” He held the sword in his hand aloft, and more swords sprouted out of the ground around him. “It’s time for me to get serious! _Diez Mil Espadas!”_

“No you don’t—!” Xing snarled. “I’ll tear you to shreds!”

Seofon’s attack sent countless swords flying toward Xing, at speeds Djeeta didn’t even think possible—but Xing was moving so fast it almost seemed like he was a team of three people. Each time she thought she saw one of Seofon’s swords strike true, what was left was only an afterimage of Xing’s body as he moved unharmed from one spot to the next. Djeeta slowly began to realize that she wasn’t just seeing afterimages: Xing had actually created mirror copies of himself, and Seofon’s swords were falling for his bait every time. With each swing of his claws, he knocked another sword out of the way in a trail of stars and a shower of sparks. 

“Oho….?” Anre leaned forward, twirling his mustache and watching Xing’s movements with keen interest. “Now there’s something you don’t see every day.”

Slashing his way through Seofon’s onslaught, Xing was finally able to get within range. He kicked Seofon’s sword out of his hand before aiming the claws of his weapon at the man’s throat.

“Heh,” said Seofon, holding his hands up in defeat. “Not bad, kid.”

“And that’s a match!” said Anre, waving his spear in the air. “Nice work, you two.”

Xing lowered his claws, letting out a sigh—his heart was still pounding. Seofon had been undoubtedly the strongest opponent he’d ever faced, and that was including the times he’d gone up against Primal Beasts with Djeeta and the crew.

Anre nodded to Djeeta, and the two approached the others. Djeeta got out the towel she’d brought, and Xing gratefully took it.

“Xing, that was an exceptional demonstration,” said Anre, nodding to himself. “Your power is quite unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. I think you would rightly deserve the title of strongest hand-to-hand combatant in the skies.”

“Tch. I barely even got a hit in,” said Xing, wiping sweat off his neck. Though his mask hid his face, there was clear frustration in his voice. 

“That may be true,” said Anre, “But take a look at yourself: not a scratch anywhere, even when your opponent was firing swords at the speed of bullets. That’s not nothing, my friend.”

“He’s right,” said Seofon. “Xing, what you lack in reach, you more than make up for in agility. Though… Call it intuition, but it almost seemed like you were holding back.”

“Huh?” said Djeeta. “It looked more like he could only barely keep up with you.”

Xing, however, lowered his head.

“No, he’s right,” he admitted. “I had trouble keeping up because… I didn’t want to let myself get too close to the edge.”

“Hm?” said Anre. “You mean to say you weren’t showing us your full potential?”

“... I can’t always control myself when I let loose,” said Xing, ears drooping. “Since this wasn’t meant to be a fight to the death, I didn’t want to risk anything happening…”

“I see,” said Anre. “So that’s the catch. You trade power for control… which isn’t in itself a bad thing. I think that with the proper training, you could learn to better make use of your own abilities.”

“And what better place to do that than among people who are also at the apex of power?” said Seofon cheerily. “Been a while since you last had an opponent like me, right? Imagine training with nine other people who are equally strong—who can handle anything you throw at them?”

Xing’s ears twitched with mild interest.

“That sounds like it’d be a big help,” said Djeeta. “Don’t you think so, Xing?”

“I guess…” 

Seofon and Anre looked at each other and shared a nod of agreement.

“We think you would be a great asset to us,” said Seofon, turning back to Xing. “So we’d like to offer you a place in the Eternals.”

“Even… even knowing that I don’t have full control of my power?” Xing asked.

“Sure, sure!” said Seofon, flashing another dazzling smile. “We can help you with that. No problemo. You wouldn’t be the first Eternal wrestling with your own strength, trust me.”

“You’d be receiving a code name and a uniform, as well as a permanent room on our mobile base,” Anre added. “Not to mention a salary befitting a defender of the skies.”

“But… I already have a crew?” said Xing, a frown in his voice. “I’m a pretty integral part of it, too…”

“In the business world, this is what is called _poaching,”_ said Anre, smiling beneath his mustache. “If an employer sees someone at a different company with the qualities they’d like for their own company, it’s not uncommon for them to offer that person a job anyway—with better perks, might I add.”

“Not that your own crew doesn’t have great perks,” Seofon added, before shooting Anre a weird look and making a motion to dial it back. “Why don’t you give it some thought? There’s no need to accept right away.”

“Yeah…” Xing glanced at Djeeta before turning his gaze back to them. “I’ll need to discuss it with my captain. Privately.”

“Very well,” said Anre. “We’ll be staying at the inn here for a few days, but if you need more time to decide, you can have Sierokarte relay your decision to me. She and I are longtime friends.”

“I see,” said Djeeta. “We’ll let you know what we decide.”

“Thank you,” said Anre. “Oh, and one more thing before we go…”

“Hm?”

“You two are hoping to reach Estalucia, are you not?” said Anre. “While I won’t make any promises, I can say that our work will take us to many different skydoms, and bring us into contact with all kinds of people. If you’re trying to find the way to an island beyond the skies, it wouldn’t hurt to cast a wide net in your search, hm?”

“Sleep on it and get back to us,” said Seofon, winking. “We’ll be seeing you!”

And with that, the Eternals were off, capes billowing in the breeze. Djeeta watched them go, head still swimming with questions about them. How had they known that she and Xing were aiming for Estalucia? It wasn’t as though they were keeping it a secret, but at the same time, it seemed odd that someone outside their crew knew about it.

Xing looked down pensively for a minute before turning to her.

“Can we… go somewhere private to talk about this?” he asked, ears drooping. “I don’t want anyone else finding out…”

“Sure,” said Djeeta. “We can go to my cabin.”

“Thank you…”

Lyria, Vyrn, and Mary were abuzz with questions when the two of them got back on board the Grandcypher, but Djeeta waved them all off, saying she and Xing had some important business to discuss as captain and first mate. Xing said nothing until they were safely inside Djeeta’s cabin with the door locked. Xing slipped his mask off, letting out a sigh—back on Zinkenstill, he would only remove it when he was home alone with Djeeta and Vyrn. 

“So?” said Djeeta. “Those ‘Eternals’ or whoever seemed pretty strong. What did you think of their offer?”

Xing shook his head.

“I don’t know if I trust them,” he said, frowning. “That Seofon guy… something about him ticks me off. And I don’t know how I feel about the idea of the Eternals. To be a power strong enough to deter conflicts through fear of retaliation—wouldn’t that just make them a threat themselves?”

“I guess,” said Djeeta, shrugging. “I thought they sounded like a decent opportunity. Good pay, free room and board, and that Anre guy sounds like he has some good connections. Not to mention they offered to train you…”

Xing frowned.

“That, at least, piqued my interest,” he said. “If they are really able to help me, it would be a huge weight off my chest. I’d be lying if I said it isn’t tempting. But…” He looked away. “If I accept their offer, it would mean I would have to leave the Grandcypher crew. I don’t want that…” 

“Xing…” said Djeeta, sighing. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“What?”

“These guys are offering to help you control your power,” said Djeeta. “Isn’t that what you’ve wanted all this time? To be able to fight without worrying about losing control?”

“Well, yeah, it is, but—!”

“And now an opportunity comes along to do something about it, and you’re gonna let it pass you by?” said Djeeta. “You might never get another chance like this!”

 _“I know!”_ Xing shot back. “I know, but I…” He grimaced and looked away, ears low on his head. “I don’t want to leave you behind while I go chasing some wild opportunity I don’t even know will pay off. I’d be no different from _him_ …”

Djeeta let out another frustrated sigh before walking up to her friend and taking his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her.

“Xing,” she said, giving his head a little shake. “You’re _nothing like_ my dad. Things are different now. I’m not a kid anymore, and you’re not leaving me here alone. I have the crew, remember? I’ll be well taken care of. And you won’t be alone either—you’ll have the Eternals supporting you.”

“I… I know…” said Xing. He leaned forward a little, bringing his face close to hers. “I just… don’t want to go anywhere if you won’t be there too…”

Djeeta’s heart pinched a little—suddenly she felt bad for pushing him to join the Eternals. In all these years, he really hadn’t changed: he was still the same lonely boy who’d shown up on her doorstep one day, clutching a letter addressed to her in bruised and bandaged hands. A boy who’d had no one for so long, and now only had her… how could she push him away?

At the same time, though… she knew she couldn’t hold his hand forever. He needed someone who understood his power and knew how to work with it. Someone who could temper it into something he could use to the fullest. He could only hide behind a mask for so long, and Djeeta feared that she’d only given him a bandage to treat a much more serious problem. The Eternals sounded like they might be able to help him in all the ways Djeeta couldn’t. 

“Xing…” she said quietly, touching her forehead to his. “You’re my best friend. Of _course_ I don’t want you to leave. But… I don’t know if I can give you the help you need. The Eternals might be your best shot at understanding your power. I… I don’t want you to keep suffering under that mask anymore…”

“What about our promise?” Xing asked. “We still have to go to Estalucia together…”

“... I know,” said Djeeta. “But Anre said he might be able to help you find out how to get there. I almost wish he’d asked _me_ to join just for that…”

Xing laughed in spite of himself.

“I guess it’s true that we haven’t learned much in a year of traveling the skies. And with how sidetracked we’ve been…”

Xing breathed in and closed his eyes. Djeeta finally let go of his face, wondering if she’d held on to him for too long—but Xing took her hands in his and twined their fingers together. For a while the two of them simply stood together, taking in each other’s familiar scent and the warm touch of their skin. When they were younger, it hadn’t been so uncommon for them to be this close: huddling under blankets to keep warm in the winter, or napping in the shade together on balmy summer days. Comforting each other in the middle of the night whenever one of them had a nightmare too terrible to sleep off. It had taken a while for Xing to get used to her, to the idea of being physically close to someone else—but once he’d crossed that hurdle, he never seemed to be too far away from her. 

Suddenly, Djeeta found herself wishing she hadn’t tried to convince him to go. It wasn’t too late; she could still change her mind. He could stay with her… 

_No,_ Djeeta thought to herself. _He needs this… He needs to at least try._

“Don’t let me be the one holding you back from getting the help you need,” said Djeeta finally, voice low. “And if it doesn’t work out, you can _always_ come back to the Grandcypher crew. I’ll save your room for you…” 

“… Alright,” said Xing. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “And if I find out how to get to Estalucia… I’ll come straight back to find you.”

Djeeta nodded, then gave his hands a little squeeze. He straightened up, slipping his mask back onto his face.

“I… I’m going to go tell them I’m joining,” said Xing. “If they insist on leaving right away, I’ll make sure to come say goodbye before we go.”

“Sounds good,” said Djeeta, smiling. “Want me to come with you to find them?”

Xing shook his head.

“I think I’ll be alright,” he said. “…Thanks for talking me through it.”

“Of course,” Djeeta responded. “What are friends for, right?”

“Yeah…” Xing took another deep breath, steeling his nerves. “I’ll see you later, Djeeta.”

Djeeta watched him go until the cabin door had shut behind him with a _click._

She wanted to think she’d done the right thing. Even if it didn’t work out, it was important that he tried, instead of just letting an opportunity that could have helped him slip away. It was for the best…

Even so… the ship already felt emptier without him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> while i was writing i realized that this chapter sounds kinda weird coming right after the one where djeeta was begging him not to leave her so i had to work around that a lil bit lmao... hopefully it doesn't come off too weird? a whole year passes between these two chapters, sooooo
> 
> i had too much fun writing the 6/7 fight and then 6dj forehead touches to ditch this chapter lmao
> 
> Art of the forehead touch was sneakily posted [here](https://twitter.com/JewishAnime/status/1238975850659213312) heheheh  
> "wait will that 2nd one be relevant too--?" sshhhhh


End file.
